The Camp Phire Vision

by Matt Mattson

This is raw. This whole Camp Phire thing hasn't even been built yet. It's just a few conversations and what feels like a lifetime of dreaming rolled up into a tiny spark that might ignite. We'll need support and help and a whole lot of luck for it to become real, but I'm willing to publicly share this vision.

So gather around everyone. This is important.

Imagine a global network of members intentionally building a more connected... a more human... world.

Imagine a well-trained force of social "Phire Starters" who create community, facilitate dialogue, and spread a culture of Social Excellence in communities all over the world.

Imagine unforgettable events happening in cities and towns and suburbs and remote areas every night all around the world -- these events are simple conversations that invite the participants to "talk-along" with each other in ways that the rest of the world seems to be shunning. 

Imagine a chain of retail spaces that specialize in selling human connection. Masquerading as coffee shops, breweries, restaurants, co-working venues, or similarly mellow-vibed shared spaces, these "stores" sell intentional conversation and inspiring interpersonal encounters.

Imagine retreat centers in enchanting locations that offer a premium experience to people seeking intense social and spiritual educational experiences.

Imagine centralized syndicated inspirational and educational content that ties together the Camp Phire culture and provides a shared experience that is inclusive, uplifting, and engages participants in compelling ways. 

That might seem like a bunch of different ideas, but it's all tied together by a philosophy of Social Excellence, and a belief that people in today's world are longing to gather together to talk about the important stuff of life, but the places and spaces where that used to take place are all vanishing.

People are alone. People feel unseen and unheard and uninspired. People are desperate to fulfill their core human destiny of connecting with others around things that matter to them, but they lack venues for that to happen. People are busy, people are over-worked, people are feeling abused and separated and disenfranchised and lost.

People just need to find each other again. In simple ways. 

They need to sit around a proverbial campfire and just talk. Just be there. Remove all the distractions of modern life, sit in a circle, feel the warmth of the fire and the conversation, and engage with one another.

Campfires have always been a symbol of people gathering together, people quieting down. people engaging with one another in unfamiliar and unforgettable ways. Campfires are sacred spaces. Create the feeling we have when we're sitting in the woods by a campfire... you've created a communion with the holy, a connection with the higher powers of the universe. You've created a space that is as ancient as homo sapiens, and as relevant as whatever topic comes up.

Create that campfire feeling over and over in as many ways as we can. That's the vision.